Re: Use of subjunctive in John 5:19

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Sun Mar 29 1998 - 14:21:03 EST


At 12:52 PM -0600 3/29/98, MikeBzley wrote:
>Dear b-greekers,
>
>I have been looking at the use of the subjunctive in the GNT. There is one
>example of its use which I find particularly odd, and which is translated in
>every English translation I have as though it was present indicative and not
>subjunctive.
>
>The passage is John 5:19 - OU DUNATAI hO UhIOS POIEIN AF hEAUTOU OUDEN EAN MH
>TI BLEPHi TON PATERA POIOUNTA; A GAR AN EKEINOS POIHi, TAUTA KAI hO UhIOS
>hOMOIWS POIEI.
>
>I can understand the use of the subjunctive BLEPHi following EAN, but not its
>use in POIHi, which all the translations treat as though it was POIEI.
>
>It seems to me that the only reason for John to use the subjunctive there is
>to introduce the idea of potentiality as opposed to actuality. If this is
>true, then I feel the passage should be translated as, ".... for the things
>that the latter (the Father) would do, those very same things the Son does".

Actually both of the clauses with subjunctive here fall into the category
of generalizing clauses--present general conditions. The AN in the clause
with POIHi makes this clear:

        hA GAR AN EKEINOS POIHi, TAUTA ....hOMOIWS POIEI
        hA AN POIHi = EAN TINA POIHi

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:39:19 EDT